Jack for positioning matched planking



Aug. 15, 1950 R.VW|LLIAMSON 2,518,536

JACK FOR POSITIONING MATCHED PLANKING Filed Dec. 4, 1948 opposite end of each of the jaws is shaped into a handle 3'! which are jointly gripped by one hand to expand the jaws 34 against the resistance of an expansion spring 38, housed in a tube 39, the latter being bifurcated at each end to receive the handles 3! and to permit the spring 33 to be compressed within the tube.

The spring 38 is effective to hold jaws 34 in; clamped position on a joist 4B or on a wall stud of arms 43 of a pair of jaws 44, against the resistance of a coil spring 45 which exerts a pull normally opening the jaws, due to their pivotal mounting'at the ends of a cross-member QSJ r The cross-member 46 as well as the arms =33 areafiixed to a plate 46a by means of screws 4%. 5

The sole connection between the plate 35a and the mounting plate I!) is through the medium of a strap 46c, slotted at S (Fig. 2) to receive a pivotal screw 46d and pivoted at a to the tail of the mounting plate H). The pivotal connection a enables the plate 46a as well as the jaws 44 to oscillate slightly with respect to the mounting plate In, limited by the upturned ears I) on each side of the plate 46a which engage the sides of the mounting plate, such oscillation per mitting the jaws 44 to adjust themselves to a support such as a joist or stud. The slot S in the strap 46c'permits longitudinal sliding displacement-of plate 46a and jaws 46 with respect to the mounting plate Ill.

"'As the head '29 on the thrust bar i5 is brought up against the work, rearward displacement of the mounting plate results, causing the divergent edges of the wedge 4! to expand the arms .3,thus to contract the jaws 4%, whose downwardly and inwardly curved and sharpened ends bite'into the sides of the particular timber to which the tool is attached, may it be a joist 40, as shown, a rafter, stud orthe like. Therefore further displacement of the tool is interrupted so that continued manipulation of the handle 21 will'have the effect to exert full force of the thrust bar against a board to force the same into matching relation with a companion board] In some cases, it will not be possible to employ either of the clamping devices, such as in laying hardwood flooring over sub-flooring, for the reason that the latter covers the joists. In such a case," the jaws 3 of the minor clampand jaws 44 of the major clamp are detached from the mounting plate and in place of the'latter, a snubbing plate 4? is secured to the underside of sharpened tongue 49 which'is adapted to bite ment on the bar 50.

plank into engagementwith another.

When laying flooring in places which will not accommodate the tool in the operative position described,such; as when nearing a wall or partition, it becomes necessary to reverse the position of the tool sothat apull rather than a push may befexertedon' the "boards as they are laid. To accomplish this, a pull bar 50 (Fig. 5) is provided, which-.thasja bifurcated hook 5| on one end adapted to receive a cross-head 52 on the rear end'ofthe thrust bar [5. A latch 53 is pivoted at 54 adjacent the hook 5| to prevent displace mentiof the latter from the cross-head 52 when travel of'the thrust bar I5 is reversedin the manner toIbe presently described. The pull bar 5Elcarries on'its opposite'end a hook 55.

To operate the tool in pulling a board into interlocking"engagement with a board already nailed to supports, it necessary to nail to the floor a suitable timber on'which the clamp jaws 44 may have purchase. 'The hook 55 of the pull bar 50 is then placed over the edge of the board .to be positioned and the handle 2| is manipulated to move the thrust bar l5. There is a tendency for the mounting plate II! to move in the opposite direction, which movement is interrupted by the setting of the jaws 44 into the temporary support of the tool, whereupon further movement of the thrust bar l5 will exert a pull on the bar 50 effective to urge" the board engaged thereby into position;

After positioning the board, the lever 21 is depressed to release'the holding dog'25 and the operating handle 2| moved rearwardly to release the dog 23 as described to permit the thrust bar to return to inoperative position by action of its return spring It. The'pull bar 5E! will also be returned to its original position by virtue of the latch 53, previously mentioned, which prevents disconnection of the bar 50 from the thrust bar I5, and the guide 56 (Fig. 3) which holds the bar 50 in axial alignment with bar The pull bar 50, it will be observed, is tubular and has opposed longitudinal slots' 5'l therein. Slidable on the bar is a block 58 having integral therewith a protuberance or finger 59 disposed parallel with the bar 50 and directed toward the hook 55on the end of the latter. The block 58 is held against rotation on the barby a pin 60 passing through the slot 51 of the bar The foregoing arrangement is to adapt the tool for sustainingone' end of a board, such as shiplap, in erecting a wall, while the opposite end thereof is being nailed in position on the studs. The tool ismanipulated so that one end v of aboard to benailed is engaged between the hook 55 of the bar 50 and the finger 590i the block 58L The tool then lifted so that the.

clampjaws 34 may be. engaged. with a wall stud. The tool is thus sustained, holding the board in such position at oneend that its opposite end may be nailed. Afterwards, the tool may be removed and the end of the board from which it is released may be nailed.

The block 58 is provided with a set screw Si by which it may be secured against sliding .move- The attachment last described above is highly advantageous for the reason that boards of considerable length may be nailed in position by a single workman while the efforts of two workmen have hitherto been required for this purpose.

It is clearly evident that the tool may be used with equal facility in positioning boards on inclined supports such as in roofing, or disposing the same in angular positions on upright studs as they are frequently applied in erecting walls.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may beconstrued to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A jack for positioning matched planking for nailing comprising a base plate, a hollow, toothed thrust bar held on said plate against other than longitudinal displacement, a spring in said bar resisting displacement thereof, an interchangeable work engaging head on one end of said thrust bar, a ratchet for advancing said bar against the resistance of said spring, a holding dog displaceable for releasing said bar to the retracting action of said spring, a pair of minor clamping jaws pivoted to said base plate at its midsection for holding the same on a support, a pair of major clamping jaws pivoted for oscillative displacement at the rear end of said base plate and also engageable with said support, means normally expanding said major jaws, said major jaws having rearwardly convergent arms, a wedge afi'lxed to said base plate effective engageable by said arms to expand the same to contract said major jaws on said support to secure said base plate against counter-thrust of said thrust bar upon contact with the work of said work engaging head.

2. A carpenters jack including a base plate, a hollow thrust bar movable longitudinally on said base plate, a coil spring secured at one end within said bar and at its opposite end to said base plate to resist advancing displacement of said bar, a ratchet for advancing said bar, an interchangeable work engaging head on said bar, a pair of normally contracted, minor clamping jaws at the midsection of said base plate adapted to hold said jack on a sup-port, a pair of normally expanded, major holding jaws mounted for oscillative and longitudinal displacement at the tail of said base plate, said major jaws having inwardly convergent arms rearwardly thereof, a wedge aillxed to said base plate adapted to engage and expand said arms eifective to contract said major jaws on said support to prohibit movement of said base plate counter to the thrust of said thrust bar against the work and displaceable holding means for releasing said thrust bar to the retraction action of said coil spring to expand said major jaws.

3. A carpenters jack comprising a base plate, a minor clamping means for holding said base plate on a support in operative relation to the work, said clamping means comprising a pair of normally contracted jaws pivoted to said base plate at its midsection, a pair of major clamping jaws pivoted for oscillative and longitudinal displacement at the tail of said base plate, and having rearwardly convergent arms, a spring normally expanding said major jaws, a wedge aifixed to said base plate, a thrust bar slidable longitudinally on said base plate having a work engaging head, a ratchet operative to advance said bar to urge its head against the work, said wedge being elfective to engage and expand said convergent arms to contract said major jaws on said support to interrupt displacement of said base plate caused by the thrust of said bar as the head thereof engages the Work and holding means displaceable for releasing said thrust bar from said ratchet to retract the same.

4. In a tool for forcing engagement of the tongue and groove of matched planking, a base plate, a minor and a major clamping means for said base plate, said minor clamping means comprising normally contracted jaws for holding said base plate on horizontal or vertical supports, said major clamping means comprising normally expanded jaws mounted for longitudinal and oscillative movement on the tail of said base plate and adapted to secure the latter against longitudinal displacement on a support, rearwardly convergent arms formed on said major jaws, a thrust bar slidable longitudinally on said base plate and having an interchangeable work engaging head, manually actuated ratchet means for advancing said thrust bar, a spring for retracting said bar, a wedge on said base plate adapted to engage between said convergent arms for contracting said major jaws on the support to prohibit yielding of said base plate when said work engaging head contacts the work and means for holding and for releasing said bar to the action of said retracting spring.

5. In a tool as described in claim 4, a pull bar detachably connected to the rear end of the thrust bar to extend rearwardly of the base plate and provided with a hook to engage work and move the same toward the tool upon advancing action of said thrust bar.

6. In a tool as set forth in claim 4, a snubber plate replacing the major and minor clamping means having an arcuated and sharpened tongue for engagement with a supporting surface to hold the base plate against movement counter to that of the thrust bar.

ROY WILLIAMSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 165,446 Hickman .'July 13, 1875 561,003 Kinderman May 26, 1896 665,945 Waters Jan. 15, 1901 977,471 Pikering Dec. 6, 1910' 

